


The one were Azula is banished instead

by GayGal



Series: I have some atla ideas [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Azula joins the Gaang, Child Abuse, F/F, Friends to Lovers, I do uncle iroh so dirty, I'm Bad At Tagging, Past Child Abuse, Probably ooc, azula is burnt+banished instead of zuko, but if you squint it fits in his canon behavior, but probebly not becuase I want them to be happy and gay together, comments water my crops, im sorry, is it really redemption if she was never bad, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26347618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayGal/pseuds/GayGal
Summary: Azula speaks out at the war meeting and is burnt, banished, alone (kinda). But then she meets the avatar and his friends, and joins them.(so at first she was going to be alone but then Azula and Lula were like "but what if it was gay")
Relationships: Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & The Gaang (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: I have some atla ideas [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905604
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry  
> (no I'm not)

Azula and Zuko were in the war council room when the old general spoke. The plan was horrendous: send a batch of new recruits as bait. It was a suicide mission. Zuko was shaking. And Azula was FURIOUS.  
“That is a horrible plan,” she said, loud and clear, “firstly, those soldiers might have the potential to become great, but if you sacrifice them, you’ll never know! Also, they are loyal to the fire nation and you want to send them on a suicide mission?” Zuko was squeezing her hand, trying to get her to stop, but she didn’t. “Also, what if the plan fails? You’d have lost a lot of soldiers for nothing!”  
-  
Azula’s punishment: she would have to face an Agni kai for her disrespect.  
“Azula, what were you THINKING?” Zuko was extremely nervous, wringing his hand and glancing at her and then back down.  
“It’ll be fine Zu-zu, calm down.” She lied. She was nervous. She was 11.  
“Azula, all the generals in that room were handpicked by Firelord Ozai! You can’t just go arguing with them! Th-that’s like arguing with Ozai! You know the consequences of that!” he glanced meaningfully at their clothes, covering almost all of their bodies. Ever since their mother disappeared Ozai had been crueler than ever to them. Zuko, because he was so nervous, because his firebending was weak, because he just couldn’t get information to stick in his head. Azula, because she was too loud, too passionate, because she would stand up to Ozai. Both of them had rough hands and feet from having to practice firebending so much. And Azula had thin, zigzagging scars from being forced to bend lightning over and over, even as it burned through her skin and blood.  
“Zu-zu. It’ll be ok. I’m strong.” she left to practice, thinking about how it most definitely wasn’t ok.  
-  
The day came. Azula had done all she could to prepare for it, but she knew that in the end, it wouldn’t matter. Being a girl, she was allowed to keep her shirt on. (she thought the rule of taking off shirts was stupid anyway) She was on the stage. The crowd was buzzing. She hoped there were at least a few people who were wondering why there was an eleven year old in an Agni Kai. But all those thoughts flew out of her head when she turned around. It was not the general standing there. It was Firelord Ozai. She didn’t know what to do. She just stood there frozen. But then she saw Zuko’s terrified face in the crowd and she remembered the lessons. She sank to her knees in a bow. She was terrified and she poured that into her words. She begged for his forgiveness and mercy, and she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. This was her fault. She hadn’t listened to the lessons burnt into her flesh. She shouldn’t have-she let the apologies, pleas for mercy, pledges of loyalty fall from her lips. Then her world stopped. He had his hand under her chin. He glared into her eyes.  
“You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.” she looked at him, terrified. Then his hand slid. She thought she hoped away from her. But instead, it slid up and he was grabbing her hair tightly, and she watched in terror as he held his other hand back and. Her face was burning, agony spreading outward. She screamed hoping that would make the pain lesson he’d burned her before but this was something different, it flared and it hurt so bad please agni make it stop, and finally, she felt her conscious slide out and cool, cool blackness swallowed her.  
-  
When Azula woke, it hurt. She didn’t know where she was. She tried to sit up, but pain flared from her face outward-her face. She reached a hand up and felt bandages, then winced as they rubbed against her face.  
“Azula! Please, don’t try to move, it will only hurt more.” Zuko?  
“Zuko?” she croaked out. Her throat hurt. “Is that you? Where are you?”  
“Yes, it’s me. I’m right here. You can’t see me right now because of the bandages, but the doctors said you should be able to see later.” he was trying so hard to be happy for her, to be cheerful.  
“...how bad is it?” she managed. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know, but she did need to know-her thoughts were cut off as more pain radiated out. It hurt, the wounds hurt so bad, they were so raw, and the bandages kept rubbing them.  
“...I don’t know. You’d have to ask the doctors on that one.” as if on cue, she heard footsteps.  
“Hello, I’m your doctor.” the voice was calm, in a practiced sort of way.  
“How bad is it?” she asked again.  
“We...can’t say yet. Unfortunately, we can tell that it will scar. Badly. Now, I can’t say this won’t hurt, but we need to change the bandages and apply medicine.” she nodded, trusting that she understood. So began the slow and painful process of the doctor peeling the bandages off her face.  
“Prince Zuko, are you sure you want to stay? I don’t want to…” she trailed off.  
“Yes. It easily could have been me up there. The least I can do is be here for my sister.”  
“Aw Zu-zu,” she managed through the pain, “you’re too nice, you know...thank you.” Soon enough of the bandages were off that she could sort of see. It was off. And weird.  
“The heat dried your eye out a little. It should improve shortly.” said the doctor, seemingly understanding her confusion. With that out of the way, she turned until she could see Zuko. Zuko...he looked like a mess, tears staining his cheeks, hair all over. She didn’t comment, assuming she looked much worse.  
“This will hurt, but it will help keep the wound clean.” the doctor said, before starting to rub something on her face and it hurt. She let out a hiss of pain, waving off the doctors’ apologies. But then, a familiar voice cut through the pain.  
“Are you sure you should be in here Zuko?” Uncle Iroh! She started to smile, but stopped when she realized how much that hurt.  
“Yes. This is the least I can do.” She started to try and push herself up, and to her surprise, the doctor helped. She mumbled a quick thanks before slowly turning to find uncle Iroh. He was staring. She realized that for it to hurt so much, it must look pretty ugly. She knew bur-wounds like these were horrid, the way the flesh looked. She ignored it. It hurt, but she managed to speak.  
“Hi uncle. Im...really glad you’re here. Wait.” she looked back at Zuko. “Zuko. How long have you been sitting there? You better have gotten food and rest.” Zuko shifted in a way she knew meant he had been sitting there quite some time without taking care of himself. “Uncle. As much as I love you and-” she winced at the pain, “Zuko being here, please make Zu-zu take care of himself.”  
“I have to put the bandages back on now. Once again, this will hurt.” it did. She did her best to stifle the noises of pain coming from her but she couldn’t stop them.  
“I will make sure he eats and rests.” came uncle’s voice. Despite Zuko’s arguments, she heard two sets of footprints leaving.  
“Thank you doctor,” she said.  
“I’m sorry.” said the doctor, surprising Azula.  
“What?”  
“You’re eleven. You shouldn’t have to go through this.” Azula wondered if the doctor had seen the scars covering her body. For the doctor’s safety, she hoped not. The doctor left, leaving her alone with her thoughts and the pain. Whatever the doctor put on her face had helped, but still. She sighed. She’d have to face it sooner rather than later. Ozai had burnt her. Worse than usual. Way worse. In front of hundreds of people. Before, the “lessons” had been hidden so no one would know. Not that anyone could do anything. She and Zuko had gotten used to wearing long, flowing sleeves and pants. She wondered what her uncle thought of her. She should have fought. But then the punishment might have been worse. She heard footsteps, then Uncle Iroh’s voice.  
“How are you Azula?” she laughed bitterly.  
“About as well as can be expected.”  
“There is a message you need to hear. ‘I, Firelord Ozai, hereby banish princess Azula of the fire nation. She will be stripped of her honor. However, She will be allowed home if she is able to capture the avatar and bring him to me. She will have three days to gather herself. A ship will be prepared.’” Oh no. this can not be happening.  
“This can’t be happing!” she said, trying to ignore the pain. “I need to be here for Zuko!”  
“Do not worry, my niece. I will be here for him.” Honestly, she didn’t know what she expected.


	2. Azula accidentally spills some trauma in front of the gaang.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula meets the gaang.

Each step to the ship hurt. Literally. But as she was walking to the ship someone ran up beside her.   
“Hey, don’t think you can leave me behind that easily.” It was the doctor, whose name had turned out to be Lalu.   
“You’re coming?” Something melted inside her.  
“Of course, silly! You need a doctor AND a friendly face, and I can provide both.” Azula couldn’t express how much this meant to her. She bowed low.  
“Thank you. I cannot express how much this means to me.”  
“Don’t worry about it!”   
~  
Two years had passed, nearing three. **https://pakchoys.tumblr.com/post/622200986617937920/book-1-zuko-is-a-beautiful-bald-boy-but-what-if-he she’d look a little like this. Also, Lula (the doctor) is sorta the uncle Iroh figure in this except she can and will kick ass to protect Azula.** She had adapted to the fact that she could only see smudges of light and color on her left side. (and her hearing was the equivalent of that. She couldn’t come up with a great way to test it.) Suddenly, a beam of light shot up. Azula knew it was no use trying to track it.  
“Are there any nearby settlements? “ she asked. Soon a crewmate responded.  
“Yes. The southern water tribe is near.”  
“Good. Set course for that, but in like the least intimidating way possible.”   
Soon they arrived. They set the ship at an angle so as to not break directly into the village. Azula didn’t want to admit it, but she was nervous. She knew fire nation would not be well received here.  
“Do you want me to come with?” came Lula’s voice.  
“Yes. And only you. I’m trying to not look like I’m invading.” Azula and Lula set off. Over the years, Azula had learned quite a bit about Lula. She was only a few years older than her and despite being a doctor, she could Kick Ass. Soon they arrived in the village. Azula raised her hands up.  
“I come in peace.”  
“I come in peace as long as you don’t attack her.”  
“Lula! So, um, I’m assuming the avatar is here? Don’t worry, I don’t want to attack them. Actually, I want to join them.”  
“You WHAT?” came the voice of a young-looking water tribe girl.  
“I have reason to hate the fire nation. OH. I forgot to introduce myself! I’m princess Azula, although I’ve been banished and therefore stripped of that title.”  
“You’re the Fire princess?!” That was a boy.  
“Sorta. It’s complicated.” At that moment, a young boy came in riding...a penguin? The girl quickly whispered to the boy, likely telling him what had just happened.  
“I want to help defeat the fire lord because my brother is still stuck with his abusive ass, and even though my uncle is there, there’s only so much he can do. I need to defeat the fire lord as soon as possible so I can rescue my brother.”  
“But isn’t he the prince? Why would the fire lord hurt his own son?” Azula laughed humorlessly at that.  
“Ha. The fire lord doesn’t hold back against anyone. Why would he against his children?” She watched the expressions. They looked surprisingly sad. “Don’t worry? I deserve-” Lula cut her off  
“If you say you deserve it, but not Zuko, I WILL kick your ass.”  
“I will always be thankful I have you to beat self-love into me.”  
“You’re welcome.” Their conversation was interrupted by that avatar.  
“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t let you join! I’m Aang, the girl is Katara, and the boy is Sokka!”  
“Aang! We can’t trust them! They’re fire nation!” Said Katara  
“Katara. I trust them as little as you do. But if it comes down to it, we can just drop them off somewhere! And we have Aang. Besides, she seems like she’s telling the truth. And having a firebender would be helpful.” Said Sokka.  
“I understand why you wouldn’t trust us, but we are telling the truth. Also, Azula is a prodigy firebender.”  
“I’m also banished from the fire nation on pain of death.”  
“WHAT.”  
“I was banished about two-ish years ago and told I couldn’t return unless I captured that avatar. What a load of bullshit. That just made me want to kick the Fire lord’s ass even more.”  
“Pain of death?” Aang asked, looking sick.  
“Honestly, that was probably the least bad thing he did to me, except for the fact that it left my brother Zuko in his clutches. I wish uncle would have let me lake them.” the kids and women gathered around them looked horrified. “Please stop looking at me like that. I’m not trying to tell you a sob story so you let me join. Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking.”  
“Yeah. I don’t understand how someone could be so smart yet think so little.” came Lula’s snarky voice.  
“You shut your trap.”  
“I stand by my decision to let you join! And it would be helpful to have you with!” said Aang  
“Ok. First, let me pack. I need some clothes and money. Also, um, c-can Lula come too? She’s a doctor, and uh I really uh kinda care about her.”  
“Sure!” Aang said. Agni, that boy was cheerful. Azula and Lula left to pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the homoromantic tension between Azula and Lula is on purpose.  
> At first Lula was going to be quite a bit older, but then I'm not sure if it was me or azula said "But what if it was gay"

**Author's Note:**

> So to explain uncle Iroh a bit here:  
> he thought Azula was the golden child, safe, just like her father.  
> he saw all the burns and bruises on Zuko, but never seemed to notice them on Azula.  
> (he barley admitted it to himself, but there was a small part of him that thought Azula deserved it, getting a taste of Zuko's world)  
> Sadly, this kinda fits in his canon behavior.  
> -  
> If you go to chapter 3 in the first fic in this series that should give you an idea. just imagine azulas face on top of Zuko's.


End file.
